New Green Syringe Will Cut Medical Waste and Costs

Product design firm Cambridge Consultants unveiled today the Syreen, a new eco-friendly syringe that could forever change the way drugs are delivered to patients. Shelled in an amorphous polymer plastic that acts as a protective casing, the Syreen erases the need for the extra outer packing normally required by glass syringes.

The Syreen will cut average syringe packaging volume in half, and reduce weight by 30%. This is a massive improvement for an industry that produces over two million tons of medical waste annually, and about 6,600 tons every day.

"We found that typical glass syringes use many materials from all over the world and that shipping costs are egregious due to inefficiencies in packaging," says Phil Lever, a commercial director for Cambridge Consultants. "This marriage of economy and ecology shows that medical device companies will likely see competitive benefits by taking sustainability seriously."

The Syreen is highly effective and easy to use. Its unique curved design will reduce accidents from needle-sticking, while promising a safer injection process less likely of cross infection. The plastic capsules also come pre-filled and can be snapped
together for secure delivery.

Cambridge Consultants hopes to one day make the Syreen recyclable. Let's just hope the rest of the $500 billion a year global packaging industry soon follows suit.